Monsters Within
by ambulee
Summary: Monster Falls AU. Dipper stumbles upon a mysterious cursed river in the Gravity Falls forest. I'm sure he'll be fine. Eventual DEERPER DEERTAUR!DIPPER
1. The Journey

_Notes:_

_**~This is my first fic be gentle **__**:)**___

_**Gravity Falls does not belong to me I make no profits from this story.**_

I know I had promised Mabel I would take her with me on my next adventure into the forest, but this morning she was being a particularly stubborn sleeper.

She would just not wake up!

I even tried to bribe her with enough stickers and glitter to cover a small room, but she refused to budge an inch. Well it's her fault anyway if she misses out on the fun but at least I might finally be able to discover some real answers to the secrets of the journal without her hyperactive sweater wearing form trying to convince me to stop and have fun.

Doesn't she understand how important the mysteries the gravity fall holds truly are?

Ughhhh… Stupid Mabel!

This morning after my pointless attempt to wake Mabel, I carefully flicked through the pages of my journal for a suitable mystery to solve.

As I was doing so my eyes were drawn to the writing '_Fluvius Cantatis' _in large perfectly written cursive, under the catching title was a single sentence written in the same impeccable hand writing " The Fluvius Cantatis is a river found within the forest of Gravity Falls and is known to place a curse on any that touches its water. " Below the introduction was a barely readable map to the river, the rest of the page was a just a blur of illegible writing. I could only make out a few words; monster, personality and change.

It was puzzling to say the least. The journal entry itself was a mystery, barely a lick of information on the whole page.

It was the perfect mystery to solve, something even the elusive author couldn't figure out. I'll solve it! By myself, I don't need Mabel! I can do it by myself.

Everything will be positively fine.

I stumbled through the forest clutching the mysterious journal to my chest.

The half an hour walk through the forest too much longer than I anticipated the rain from the night before resulted in a thick ankle-depth mud coating the forest floor.

My feet were constantly being caught in the root of the undergrowth making my journey to my destination feel longer and more haggard; my spindly legs were covered in shallow scratches from the bushes I waded through, that stung viciously under their thick coating of mud.

I was already too far in to turn back though, nearly three quarters of the way so I continued onwards as I trudged determinedly through the sticky mud to reach my destination.

I staggered through the final reaches of the forest as I came to a clearing.

I was instantly gobsmacked by the all-encompassing beauty of the area.

It was truly stunning; the water reflected the midday sun like a blanket of sapphires as it slowly trickled south. The leaves of the surrounding trees and bushes were a vivid healthy green, and the grass was an impossible lime that led right up to the water's edge. The whole field was splattered with smackering of vivid lilac flowers of a species I have never seen in any book before.

The shining sun was completely visible in the bright blue sky above not a single cloud to shade me from its radiance. The sun's rays filled me with warmth that was so different from the humid heat that surrounded me within the forest. How could such an absolutely wondrous place be cursed?

_**~Oh Dipper you are so wrong!~**_


	2. The Shock

_**Note**__: Sorry this took so long, work and all that. _

_:) Hope you enjoy _

I carefully take the journal from within its secret pocket in my vest, and again flip through the pages. This can't be right! I must have misread the map, this place is just two pretty too be evil.

As I turn through the journal looking for the elusive entry on 'The Fluvius Cantatis', I carelessly edged closer to the glistening river to make a seat in the velveteen grass near its banks.

Rustle.

Suddenly a shadow blinked across my peripheral vision, accompanied by a echoing crackle of leaves and the crunch of crisp grass under heavy footsteps.

I froze.

My body turned to stone, my limbs heavy.

The crunching got closer, louder and was joined by heavy gasps that seemed to scream at me with their intensity.

I twitched.

There is something behind me.

I'm going to die. It's a wolf or a bear or some horrible, terrifying creature that lives in the forest of Gravity Falls.

Why aren't I running, fleeing, fighting!

I'm going to die.

I'm going to die a hopeless coward to afraid to even face the creature that devoured him.

Oh god! Why didn't I bring Mabel.

She would know what to do!

Mabel Please! Help Me! Grunkle Stan! Soos! Wendy Please!

The monster was closer now it's weighty, wet pants sending shivers down my trembling neck, Its slow exhalations of air ruffling my short hair as I stand dead still.

I slowly close my heavy eyelids. And wait.

I'm going to die.

God! I'm useless.

Dead. Shivering in the forest, with a creature I never faced tearing me apart.

NononononononononononononononononNO!

No.

You know what Mister Mystery Creature, if I'm going to die. I'm at the very least going to look you in the eye while I do.

I spin.

I blink.

No one's here?

The horrible creature I was imagining, fierce teeth, deadly claws, horrid hateful eyes, never here!

No one's here!

Not a single creature as far as my eyes can see. Not a bug, nor a reptile or a horrid little boy eating monster.

Just me, and the river.

I'm alive.

I'm safe.

I breathe, trying to keep the adrenaline from overwhelming me.

I'm safe.

It's just me and the river.


	3. The Fall

_Note:_**_Sorry this took so long. Exam week and two jobs, you know how it is. :)_**

_**Also I Have the next chapter complete. Yay**_

_**I will post it next week. You know unless i get reviews, than i might post it early. If you know what i mean ;)**_

_**Yes, I'm holding out deerper for reviews, I am horrible deal with it.**_

_**Also Review please.**_

I watched.

The river and I locked in a staring contest that seemingly lasted hours, but in reality was barely ten seconds.

I breathed, slowly carefully pushing the air around my lungs. The shock from the mysterious presence still hung over me like a lead lined blanket, making all my thoughts turn static and blurry.

I could tell my face was still, wearily scrunched up in confusion and distrust. But I was slowly allowing my body to relax, still taut with reflex but no longer frozen in fear.

The creature is gone, if he was ever really there and a monster with footsteps as loud, as earth-shattering as the ones I heard would never be able to hide in the surrounding emerald bushes.

It must have left.

I blink, my eyes finally willing to allow the river to win this bleary eyed game of ours.

I need to calm down and remember why I'm here.

'The Fluvius Cantatis'. A river that the journal claims to have the great power to curse any human within its reach, I am here to study it. And hopefully learn more about the author by investigating the rest of the illegible journal page.

Breathe In, Breathe out.

I take a step towards the rivers golden banks. It really is quite a stunning view.

Almost suspiciously beautiful, maybe my earlier hypothesis was wrong maybe I am in the right place. Maybe the rivers beautiful looks is to hide its ugly true nature. Perhaps it's a disguise to claim unwilling victims as they bathe in the rivers sapphire depths.

I probably shouldn't get closer.

But, who else is going to study and document it if not I, the great detective , one half of the Mystery Twins, the better half obviously. It's my duty honestly, imagine the scientific applications if I can just figure out the magic within the Gravity Falls forest. The capabilities, the uses, it's absolutely mind blowing.

I'll be a hero, honoured as a genius.

I take a step.

Really, I have to do this. If not for me for all the people who live in ignorance of the supernatural and the monsters that live within Gravity Falls.

Step. Step.

Imagine all the people my discoveries will help.

Step. Step. Step.

It could lead me one step closer to the Author.

Step. Step.

It's a no- brainer really.

Step.

I stand just at the edge of the river, now. The calm sways of the tranquil water are inches away from my feet.

I should gather a sample.

I lean down with a small plastic container in one hand, my other hand balancing out my stance.

I must be sure not to fall in.

I gently and methodically scrape water and sediments into the plastic, making certain not even a drop touches my skin.

I slowly and carefully stand up positive I maintain my centre of balance. I finally reach a standing position and once again recap the container making definite that the seal is air tight.

See not even a drop. No curse, no after affects. See I can adventure even better with Mabel not here! She is going to be so jealous of my success, about time I finally got one up on her.

With a triumphant grin stretching across my face I place the sealed water-filled container back within my deep blue vest.

A heavy breathe seeps into the air.

That wasn't me.

The grin slowly dissipates as I realise I'm not alone.

The creature is back.

Damn!

But, before I had any time to calculate a plan or revel in my misfortune, I feel a pressure on my back.

It pushed me?

Splash! Right into the cursed river! Dammit! Of course this would happen, this always happens, when was the last time I went anywhere without some magical creature causing me, misfortune.

Darn, should have brought Mabel!

And with a quick flash of searing hot agony, I blacked out, just before I could hear the echoing laughter of a maniacal, bright yellow demon of dreams.

_**Ah I wonder who that could be?**_

_**Deerper up next week.**_

_**Please Review!**_


	4. The Awakening

I lay still on the river bank, eyes shut, body unmoving. My eye lids feel like lead weights, heavy ensuring my aching lids stay firmly shut.

My body is twisted and bent at odd angles as if I fell asleep playing a particular vicious game of Twister.

My legs feel broken, jutting out at places they never were before my fall into the accursed river.

Accursed River.

Cursed River.

Damn.

The soft ripples licking at my mangled body finally makes sense to my pain addled mind.

I fell- No was pushed into 'The Fluvius Canatis; a river twisted with magic to curse every living things that touches a single ddrop of its sparkling depths forever a monster.

That explains the agony of my contorted body; I was obviously some accursed hideous freak of a monster, destined to live out the rest of my life within the magics of the forest forever hiding my ugly face from humans who will go blind from just one look.

Deep breaths.

Time to face the metaphorical monster shaped music.

I take one last deep breath. In, Out.

I ply my tired, throbbing eye lids open, using my tender arms and stiff hands to bend myself at the waist so I can get a complete look at my new mangled monster of a body.

My eyes open with flutter of the lids. Each movement of my arms and waist sounded with loud protesting of my mangled body.

I look down.

My eyes a wide open now, scanning the hair covered body that began where my waist ends.

The body of a deer, not even a deer a fawn.

The chestnut brown hair of my newly recognised deer body is soft and downy to the touch like newborn deer's first coat complete with a smattering of white spots following to the soft fluffy tail.

Oh god I have a tail.

Breath. In, Out.

Oh god I'm half-deer.

Breath. In, Out

I let out a high pitch wail that almost definitely deafened all nearby wildlife and for the second time that day darkness overcame me.


End file.
